Little Things
by akanekari
Summary: TYL, 1827, TYLHibarixTYLTsuna. Hibari has his own special, awkward way of showing affection. A collection of oneshots and drabbles.
1. A Different Kind Of Bite

**Summary:** TYL, 1827, TYLHibarixTYLTsuna. Hibari has his own special, awkward way of showing affection. A collection of oneshots and drabbles.

**Dedication:** This collection is dedicated to one of my best friends, **serser0813**, whom I owe too many favors to count. She's one hardcore fan of 1827 and yaoi, so I decided to whip up a oneshot (which actually turned into many oneshots) for her. Thanks for putting up with my insanity for the decade and a half I've known you, Ser!

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim all rights to the wonderful, miraculous, addicting-to-the-point-it-swallows-your-life series, _Katekyo Hitman Reborn_. I'm just messing with the characters.

**Warnings: **This collection is male/male**.** Meaning homosexual relationship. Not bromance-but that's there too. If you don't like it, please _don't read it_. Also, if you'd like to put this story up somewhere else, that's perfectly fine with me as long as you _notify me first_.

**Other notes:** Some of these oneshots/drabbles will have slight references to others, but are generally _not related_ to each other in the slightest. Also, I've made Tsuna a lot more mature (as he _does_ eventually become a fantasmicfabulous _capofamiglia_ and I've made Hibari a little milder in my stories (Hey, I figure he'd mature one day and stop being recklessly insane…) to give him a deeper character of sorts. Besides people, he's in love. That in its own right is kindasorta impossible in the real plot of KHR (seeing as he's one huge ball of insanity and bloodlust).

**Rating:** is subject to change. Each has its own rating.

_#1 _

_Rating: PG_

_ DO TIPO DI MORSO.:_

Tsuna could honestly say he had no idea when it actually started, though he could recall the first time he became aware that it definitely happened.

He wasn't exactly a deep sleeper, though he silently prided himself at his developed ability to sleep through any distraction that he deemed unnecessary of his attention. It was a nifty trick he'd picked up; after all, mafia parties were boisterous, and Tsuna would always be too exhausted by his previous engagements to enjoy himself. He'd slip into an unoccupied corner for a quick nap, closing his tired eyes and drowning out the raucous cacophony as he slipped unnoticed into a dreamless rest.

But though he slept deeply, Tsuna usually woke immediately when he sensed incoming presences, which was why he found it so very strange that he didn't notice until now.

He knew he'd slept just as peacefully as any other night, but blamed the cool drift that wafted through the open window for his heightened senses. That night, drifting in the limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness, he almost started when he felt the slightest brush of calloused fingertips against his forehead, sweeping to the side his honey colored locks with gentle strokes.

…_Who? _

Tsuna was wide awake in an instant, but his body relaxed just as suddenly when he recognized his late night visitor's presence. This exchange was less than a second, but Tsuna hoped dearly that Hibari did not notice his accelerated heart rate as he forced his breathing to even out, feigning sleep.

It worked.

The soothing motions continued, unperturbed and unaware of Tsuna's current state of consciousness. Hibari's fingers drew conflicting reactions from Tsuna, simultaneously coaxing the petite overworked Vongola into blissful, badly needed slumber but forcing him to fight down a blush, yanking him back to embarrassed awareness.

After a while, Hibari slowly retracted his hands, and Tsuna found himself almost desperately missing the comfortable warmth of his Cloud Guardian's touch. He almost jumped out of his skin, though, to feel something soft and warm replace the lingering comfort briefly.

Though it was only a slight peck on the forehead, Tsuna felt warmth rush and swell in his heart from the intimate, sweet gesture. Tsuna almost smiled, but he forced his expression into one of peaceful impassivity. He didn't want to ruin the moment, and took the time to savor the tingle of pleasure and happiness that had run down his spine. It was unusual and certainly rare for Hibari to display any sort of affection at all, and almost always, any acts of intimacy between them were just quick pecks on the cheek or brief hugs that were (almost) never reciprocated on Tsuna's part.

_Well, _Tsuna inwardly smirked. _…At least in public. _He silently loved the way he – and only he - could get those usually expressionless, cold-as-ice eyes to smolder with the heated intensity of live coals, emotion and lust burning within the clouded molten steel.

Other people couldn't come close. They'd brag their whole lives if they ever (besides annoyance or anger) so much as caught a glimpse of the slightest upturn of Hibari's lips, Tsuna so deeply appreciated cherished the trust that Hibari placed in him, knowing that precious few – if any – other people saw the side of ever-strong, ever-unbreakable, ever-emotionless Hibari as he was unguarded, vulnerable, exposed, protective barriers and pride and fear thrown to the wind, left completely, utterly open and oh-so-remarkably _human_. Tsuna knew that Hibari was very, very proud and equally frightened to leave himself so ("_disgustingly __**weak**_," He spat one day, his entire shaking form emanating intense anger and self-loathing, deaf to Tsuna's vehement protests.) Despite Hibari's temperament, Tsuna loved the gratifying feeling of that deep mutual trust that sparked up and flared in his heart whenever they locked eyes.

In fact, the average person wouldn't even know (wouldn't even _consider_) that vicious, petulant Hibari and cheery, gentle Tsuna were, in fact, lovers.

They were such an unlikely match, but never teased for it because of Hibari's tendency to maim and/or disfigure (in the case of the ignorant, unlucky passerby who'd pointed and guffawed rudely at the passing couple – he'd never use his right arm again and was left a crumpled bloody mess on the floor in the blink of an eye) and Tsuna's absurdly high social standing.

No one, _no one_ would dare tease a respected, influential mafia's boss, even if he was the nicest, sweetest person in the mafia underground.

Even then, their relationship was not exactly common knowledge, and people who knew better tended to avoid the topic. Fear of Hibari's wrath and the high possibility of getting sicced by Tsuna's extremely loyal guardians –coughGokuderacough- outweighed any amusement directed at the odd couple.

The only one that could tease Hibari and live, they concluded, was Tsuna. The only one that could stand Hibari and stay sane _and intact_, they concluded, was Tsuna. The only one that could hand Hibari his own sorry ass in a fight, they concluded, was Tsuna. The only one that could _**love**_ Hibari, they concluded, was Tsuna.

Tsuna was a special case. Actually, if you blinked and squinted, it was kind of cute in twisted, warped kind of way. One never entertained the thought of Hibari and Tsuna as a couple for too long lest they suffer mental damage from the whacked up reasoning, and the fact was generally accepted after a good choking and an unclogged windpipe.

Tsuna continued to suppress his embarrassed delight as an unbidden flush stained his pale cheeks with rosy color. Tsuna hoped Hibari wouldn't notice from the meager, silvery moonlight that peeked from the open window, and grew increasingly nervous as Hibari just continued to stand over his bed, watching Tsuna's prone form with his steady, steely gaze.

He was only reminded of the time and place when Hibird landed on the sill of the open window, casting a shadowed, elongated distortion of the silvery moonlight that bathed Tsuna's room. It ruffled its feathers and trilled Hibari's name quietly to remind its master of his next appointment.

Breaking his gaze, Hibari turned away from Tsuna's bed and strode swiftly and silently to the window, where Hibird perched contentedly. Holding out a finger to intercept his small, fluffy companion, he briefly scooped up the soft, yellow tufts that Hibird had molted and placed them in the breastpocket of his business suit for later use.

Hibari didn't spare the room a second glance as he placed a foot on the windowsill and propelled himself out of Tsuna's room with practiced ease and grabbed the graveled edge of the roof, flipping himself up with the silence and grace of a ninja. Leaning down, Hibari slid the window shut and locked it securely, lips set into a resolute frown.

Tsuna was really too careless sometimes.

Hibari straightened and absently patted down his suit, yawning widely into one hand as he glanced at his wristwatch. Frowning slightly at the time, he broke into a run and leapt off the familiar roof of the Vongola mansion into the darkened streets below.

Back in his room, Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief. A smile graced his face and his heart thrummed in contentment. He breathed out as the surge of adrenaline passed, and basked in the comfortable afterglow, eyeing the window with a certain fondness.

Chuckling quietly to himself, he closed his eyes once more and let himself sink easily into blissful oblivion, reminding himself to leave the window open more often.

_:.A DIFFERENT KIND OF BITE__.:_

Love ya, ser! You're the reason I'm writing this anyway. :D


	2. Song

God, you guys are awesome. Seriously. I really didn't plan to finish this one so early, but it's short and…well, it kind of wrote itself. Funny story, actually. Today at school I happened to slip that I'd finished the second chapter to my awesomest best buddy **Serser **and she was like, "What?! Post it!" Haha! So yeah, I did a few touch-ups and decided to post it. But this actually very rare for me to post a day after…usually I suck at updating. I hope I don't get any of your hopes up, because this really does not happen often. ^^;;

Anyway, here it is, the second installment of _Little Things_!

_Rating: G_

_:.__**C**__ A N Z O N __**E**__.:_

Tsuna chuckled as he strode quickly down the familiar halls of his grand home, his unexpected prize clutched gently between his small hands.

He couldn't believe his luck. The fluffy yellow puff that was the companion of his Cloud Guardian had conveniently flown right past him as he had been signing papers and had saved Tsuna the trouble of searching for him later. He turned a corner into his room and shut the door behind him, hearing the soft click of the lock. Perfect.

A satisfied, mischievous smirk played on Tsuna's lips as he set his feathered captive on his desk, watching Hibird puff and squawk indignantly.

"Shh…" Tsuna soothed, reaching out two fingers to pet Hibird's head in an apologetic manner. He spotted a bag of baked banana chips at the corner of the desk and grabbed it, setting it in front of Hibird as some sort of offering. The small bird happily accepted it, chirping as he dug into the proffered snack.

Meanwhile, Tsuna fumbled through his desk, flipping through stacks of paper in search for the messy scrawl of his own handwriting.

"Ah hah!"

Tsuna triumphantly held up the fruit of his search, and Hibird stopped its rummaging to peer questioningly at the folded piece of paper clutched in Tsuna's fist. Deeming it none of its concern, Hibird reoccupied itself with the banana chips.

Tsuna grinned and settled himself in front of Hibird, the mischievous glint back in his amber eyes.

"Hibird,"

His Cloud Guardian's companion ruffled its feathers in response and turned to peer questioningly at Tsuna, a chip between its beak. Tsuna smiled and held up the paper.

"We're going to give Kyouya-san a little surprise, okay?"

Hibird gave a muffled chirp, crunching thoughtfully on its banana chip.

:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Hibari's gaze lifted skyward the umpteenth time and frowned; he hadn't seen his feathered companion in almost a week now. Though it wasn't the first time that Hibird had flown off alone, it had rarely gone off so long and Hibari, despite himself, had begun to worry.

As he searched the skies again for the familiar speck of yellow, he was surprised to feel a slight weight on his head. He reached up, feeling a small bundle of fluff and recognizing it to be his absent companion.

Vaguely, he wondered where Hibird had gone off to, and patted the top of Hibird's head absently with the tip of his finger. Hibird, delighted, opened its beak and started to chirp to the familiar tune of the Namamori school theme.

**_"Tsuyokute osorenai kimi to_**

**_hibari no jiyuu de sora ni kakeru kimi wo shiteru yo_**

**_Dare ni mo tomerarenai kimi mo_**

**_Mou ore no te ni kaete kite, ne?  
_**

**_Yakusoku darou?"_**

_I know the you who is strong and fearless; the you who soars in the sky with a skylark´s freedom_

_The you who can never be held back by anyone too_

_Return to my arms soon, okay?_

_It´s a promise, isn´t it?_

Hibari was quick to catch that there was something definitely off. Tsuna, watching from his office window, almost laughed aloud at Hibari's bewildered expression. The amber-eyed Vongola watched as his Cloud Guardian turned to face his direction. As they locked gazes, Tsuna cocked his head to the side and waved, a lighthearted, mischievous smile on his face.

He saw Hibari sigh and shake his head, but Tsuna did not miss the small quirk of Hibari's lips as he walked briskly down the hall, turning a corner and disappearing to attend to other business. Still grinning, Tsuna lowered his hand and moved to shut the window, but noticed that Hibird was perched just outside. Holding a hand out, he gently beckoned his Cloud Guardian's companion toward his room so he could close the window properly.

Hibird hopped onto the outstretched hand and opened its beak.

**"****_Yakusoku yo."_**

_It's a promise._

_:.__**S**__ O N __**G**__.:_

I thought it seemed odd to put the lyrics in English (or Italian), so I _**tried**_ (note: tried, in the past tense, in bold and italics) Japanese. Any people who are actually familiar with the language are (highly) encouraged to correct me. It's supposed to be like the bolded italic English translations, but I utterly fail at Japanese (so much it isn't even funny) so if people catch any mistakes, please, please, _please_ make sure to let me know!

I also tried to fit it into what the Namimori song is supposed to sound like, but I don't think that worked. -.-;;

In any case, review! Your reviews make me uber happy. :D Those who can correct my crap Japanese are greatly appreciated!

_EDIT_ 4/23/09: Holy schmoly, an awesome reviewer by the penname of **Ardentus Rhapsodia **has my undying thanks, gratitude, appreciation, and all that other good stuff. She actually took the time to correct the song for me in her review!!! *sobs in happiness* The lyrics are all her, the translation is all her, and as for the people who read the chapter before the edit, I'm really sorry you had to go through my really, really, _really _bad Japanese. -.-;; But it's all good now, thanks to the angel that is **Ardentus Rhapsodia**!!! Big, huge, thanks to her again, you don't know how much I appreciate it. Thank you, thank you, and thanks again! You are seriously made of awesome stuff! :D**  
**


	3. Hibari Speak

_Yo! I'm back really early again. Haha! Actually, it's not because of __**Ser's**__ prodding again, it's because I made her a deal. I asked her to write me a fic, and I told her that I would finish this chapter if she did. So she did, and it's total crack – because I wasn't specific enough. I love her writing – and believe me, it's better than she gives herself credit for (and she doesn't post it on ffnet; the only one she posted was the one she did in about five minutes due to my incessant prodding). Dammit, Ser, I want a proper fic! I demand it!_

_But anyway, that's why I'm back in record time again. But trust me, you won't see much of me again until AP exams are all gone and done. Blegh._

_:.**F** A V E L L **A** –** D** I – **H** I B A R **I**.:_

_Rating: PG_

Dinnertime was always a group event.

Settling his fork down on his plate with a quiet clink, Tsuna picked his napkin from under his glass and dabbed lightly at the corners of his mouth. He looked up from his plate to his loyal famiglia, warm carmel eyes roving affectionately across the familiar faces, watching rather than listening in silent contentment the easy conversation that enveloped them all.

To his right, Gokudera argued heatedly with recently released Mukuro who'd mistaken TNT and dynamite to be the same thing. His silver haired Storm Guardian passionately elaborated chemical know-how's of his favorite weapon, explaining to a smirking Mukuro that dynamite was made from nitroglycerin, not trinitrotoluene, and that he heard too many people who made that mistake. The male Mist Guardian listened quietly, mismatched eyes crinkled in mirth, shaking his head in disbelief and amusement as his long ponytail swung lightly, lips curved upward in a smirk.

Chrome, seated to the left of Mukuro, watched at this exchange with large, curious indigo eyes that darted to and fro between her savior and green-eyed Storm Guardian before her attention was tugged away by Lambo, who'd quietly asked her to pass him the pepper. She did so, leaning slightly to grab the wooden appliance easily from her seat and passing it carefully to Lambo, who uttered a shy "thanks" and immersed himself completely once more in his conversation with Yamamoto.

His cheerful Rain Guardian was sharing his Major League stories requested by the teenage Thunder Guardian, who listened with rapt, awed attention. He was a comical sight: his usually placid face flushed in excitement, both eyes open as wide as they could go, jaw practically unhinged from his face, and hands fiddling unconsciously with the handle of the pepper grinder, showering himself in the shredded black herb . Yamamoto waved off the attention humbly, laughing lightly as he absently tugged at the now standing, still ardently enthused Gokudera's right sleeve, trying with no avail to bring him back down from his explosives-obsession high.

The canary-eyed swordsman grabbed a napkin with his unoccupied hand to offer it to Lambo, who paid no heed to his pepper covered shirt and instead chose to wave Yamamoto on with his stories.

Tsuna, ever observant, chuckled faintly with amusement. He did, however, take note of the fact that despite the bustle of their daily dinner congregation, Hibari, seated to Tsuna's left, almost always ate his meal in reserved silence. Tsuna figured he'd grown used to the clamor of mingling voices that belonged to his fellow Guardians, and had accepted it gradually just as he accepted each of their respective strengths. _Hibari_, he mused, though not for the first time,_ was a strange one_.

Tsuna tipped his head back and sighed. He drank in the pleasant blend of familiar voices, basking in the comfortable atmosphere, listening for peaks and dips in conversation.

They all had distinct ways of talking, he noticed.

It was pleasant. Gokudera was straightforward and bluntly brusque, never one to play with words; Yamamoto was sociable and animated, generous with both gracious compliments and sunny smiles; Ryohei was enthusiastic and intense, his zeal for everything and anything definitely contagious; Lambo was careful and innocently curious, adorably amusing with his contained childishness; Chrome was respectful and compassionate, ever the good listener; Mukuro was interesting and arrogantly charming, innately talented with linguistic deception. As for Hibari…

Hibari had his own way of communication that ninety nine point nine percent of the human population did not understand. For one, he was always silent and unresponsive when approached – he hated crowds and strangers, and often sent them away wordlessly with a (poison-laced death) glare that promised certain (torturous capitulation in the flaming pits of hellish and bloody) doom. But even to the people he'd accepted as friends, he preferred silence to verbal reciprocation, but would grace them with wordier sentences that were not death threats (unless provoked). Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Hibari _was_ indeed capable of voicing his opinion in a tone void of annoyance or anger.

Not that he usually _did_ – only around Tsuna and occasionally his fellow Guardians was he a tad more vociferous. Just a tad, though.

Besides, with Tsuna, he didn't really have to speak to get his point across, as the petite Vongola boss was one of the few people that were pretty much fluent with Hibari's silent communication. He didn't mind it, as well, and the fact that he didn't only made Hibari's affections for the petite Vongola grow.

Dinner was over as it usually was; his Guardians politely excused themselves one by one after polishing off their plates and bowing their thanks for the meals. Tsuna noted amusedly that somehow, Japanese customs just stuck, even though they've all moved to Italy more than eight years ago.

Tsuna allowed himself a huge yawn, only then taking notice of how tired he really was. His Guardians had retired to their respective rooms for the night, and Tsuna felt no more reason to stay in the dining hall any longer.

As he pushed his chair back and moved to stand up, Tsuna caught sight of messy raven hair at the far corner of the room and immediately recognized it as his Cloud Guardian's.

"…Kyouya-san? What are you still doing here?"

Hibari didn't move from where he was, choosing to lean on the wall and take his time replying. It was a while before he spoke, his voice low and smooth as silk.

"If you fell asleep here, wouldn't that cause everyone trouble?"

Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise and realization before he let out a small laugh.

So that was why whenever he fell asleep at the table, he somehow awoke in his own bed and not sprawled all over yesterday's dinner.

It was sweet, needless to say, of Hibari to keep such close watch over him. Tsuna never noticed that Hibari would wait for him to finish eating, and would watch silently unnoticed until Tsuna retired safely to his room.

_Hibari's odd little way of communicating,_ Tsuna noted fondly again, _seems to work just fine for me. _

Appreciation and happiness bubbling in his chest, Tsuna all but skipped across the room and threw his arms around Hibari's neck in a tender embrace.

"… I love you."

Tsuna felt Hibari's amused smirk against his neck as he tightened his hold on the smaller man's waist, his hot breath fanning across his cheek as Hibari lightly bit the shell of his ear. Hibari's low chuckles emanated from deep in his chest and rolled off in pleasant waves that Tsuna could feel all too clearly. He unlocked his arms from Hibari's neck and wrapped them around the taller man's waist. With a small hum of pleasure, he laid his honey colored head to rest lightly on his Cloud Guardian's chest.

As his breathing started to even, Hibari rested his chin lightly atop Tsuna's soft mop of spikes and rubbed slow, soothing circles into Tsuna's lower back, satisfied to hear a soft, content sigh escape the smaller man's lips. Tsuna smiled affectionately, eyes fluttering shut as his hands fisted into the back of Hibari's shirt.

That was Hibari-speak for: _"I love you, too."_

_:.__**H**__ I B A R __**I **__ – __**S **__P E A __**K**__.:_

_Haha, so how was it? I kind of like this one, if I do say so myself. It was fun writing all the other characters too. _

_Let me know how I'm doing and drop a review! :D  
_


	4. Fall From the Sky

_Gah, I'm so, so sorry! I've been MIA for a long time, I know. I've been busy with tons of crap…and this chapter really hates me. Really. I'll elaborate more on that at the end of the chapter. -.-;;_

_But anyway, thanks so much for all of your support! I really appreciate the reviews/alerts/favorites! You guys are the best. :D_

_Special thanks to, of course, __**Serser, **__the greatest buddy one could have. _

_Okay, smack me as hard as you can; I know this is really late. Enjoy it anyway, though. :)_

_Rating: PG-13_

_Setting: Pre-Millefiore_

_:.__**C**__ A D O N __**O**__ – __**D**__ A __**L**__ – __**C **__I E L __**O**__.:_

They zoomed through streets, the silver Porsche tracing a wild, angry path in its wake. People darted out of the way for fear of being completely crushed under the unrelenting vehicle, muttering angry curses under their breaths.

Inside said vehicle, a frustrated and exhausted Tsuna cursed as well, albeit for completely different reasons. _Yet _another_ reason I shouldn't get sick,_ he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose in a rather futile attempt to curb his headache. _Gah, why does my health fail me now?_ He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched harder. The throbbing at his temples continued though, much to his displeasure.

"I'm _fine_, really, Gokudera. Stop asking, already!" Tsuna pulled a face and threw his hands up, frustrated. A lie, and he knew it. But it was important to get Gokudera off his back somehow. Hibari threw the hotheaded Guardian a glare from the backseat when Gokudera opened his mouth to argue.

"_Please_." The petite Vongola added, before Gokudera could speak. His head was pounding and Gokudera's incessant mothering did not do much for his pulsing migraine. He knew his Storm Guardian meant well, but Tsuna's patience ran shorter when he was sick and he really couldn't take it anymore.

The amber-eyed _capofamiglia_ felt the weight of Hibari's impassive stare bore into the back of his head even as he watched Gokudera's dubious expression slowly change to one of hesitant resignation. He tried his best to ignore it. Tsuna thought that frustration was a quite a good cover; he didn't need to hide his state of discomfort as he usually did, as Gokudera would likely read his headache as one he had developed from arguing with him.

The flustered brunet quietly thanked the heavens when his Storm Guardian did not push the matter further. With an irritated "Tch," Gokudera chose instead to run a hand through his silver locks and push the acceleration pedal in a frustrated manner. The sleek Porsche, already tearing through the streets at a speed that was definitely illegal, hitched the obscene speed impossibly faster.

Tsuna gulped nervously, not quite sure that the cold sweat matting his bangs to his forehead was due to Gokudera's reckless driving, or his unfortunate run with poor health. He supposed it was both.

Sighing deeply and sinking back into the leather plush of the seat, he lamented the absence of the familiar, quiet comfort of his private limousine terribly. He berated himself for letting Gokudera drive them to the conference.

Tsuna thought back regretfully to that morning when he had let his guard down for a moment and was overcome with a painful fit of coughs. Cursing inwardly, he had righted himself almost immediately as he clutched at the banister for support. He was, though, definitely unprepared to see Gokudera gaping worriedly at him, emerald eyes wide and half-smoked cigarette dangling dangerously from his unhinged jaw. Desperately, he'd tried to cover for his lapse of control, but the damage was done. His stubborn Storm Guardian hotly insisted on driving Tsuna and Hibari to the conference even if it killed him.

So here he was, trapped in Gokudera's Porsche. He groaned, digging his palms into his eyes.

Needless to say, it was rare – odd, even - for him to get so terribly sick. A migraine or two was normal and could be tolerated, but Tsuna had been feeling more and more terrible as he ignored his health in favor of work.

It was odd since he was extremely careful about his health, and so he pushed the blame onto the consecutive stressful, sleepless nights for his weakened immune system. In a whole week, Tsuna hadn't slept a wink. But as boss of one of the most prominent, influential mafia groups, Tsuna couldn't afford take a day off to himself, much less lay incapacitated in his bed when anything could happen. Especially in these tight times when the Millefiore's eyes were everywhere; it was all he could do to keep his famiglia protected from possible threats. His eyes hardened.

That was why he was awfully careful about hiding his dangerously frail condition. If anyone knew he was sick, Millefiore's would double their efforts to find the core base and wait for the opportune moment to strike down the Vongola's forces. Tsuna's hands fisted in his lap, and he narrowed his eyes. No, he just could _not_ let that happen. Not to mention that if the rest of his famiglia were to find out, it would be a crippling blow to the morale – they didn't need that, not when they were nearly at the verge of losing. And they were, as much as Tsuna hated to admit it.

Byakuran was as clever as he was ruthless, and unlike that merciless prick, Tsuna was vehemently opposed to throwing any of his famiglia's lives away. There was too much at stake, too many consequences. He would admit without any hesitation that those sleepless nights were well-spent, even at the expense of his health. It was fine; his mask of deception was absolutely flawless, perfected to the point that it was a second skin and no one – not even most of the Guardians - could tell the difference. If Tsuna could hold out, no one would notice.

In the driver's seat, Gokudera ground his cigarette between his teeth before he cursed under his breath and harshly slammed his foot on the brakes, clenching his jaw as the car screeched to an abrupt halt. Poor Tsuna's stomach gave a sickening lurch and whatever color he had left drained completely from his face. Looking disgusted, Hibari threw a vicious glare at Gokudera before he took both of Tsuna's icy hands and pressed down hard at pressure points to help ease his discomfort. Tsuna's grateful smile came out looking like a feeble grimace, and Hibari shook his head in silent warning.

Slowly, Tsuna's eyes refocused, and he gave a slight nod of affirmation. Hibari said nothing, but his mouth was pressed into a thin line and his eyes hardened visibly.

With practiced solemnity, the Vongola _capofamiglia_ shoved all thoughts of discomfort to the back of his mind and set its place a mask of indifference and detachment. Hibari watched on, and the line of his mouth pressed thinner. He said nothing.

Tsuna let himself out of the car, waving his thanks to Gokudera, a relaxed smile on his face. He started toward the impressive double doors in quick stride – the very picture of regularity. Gokudera looked at his boss's quickly disappearing back up and down for a while, and, seemingly satisfied, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled.

"Knock 'em dead, _Juudaime_!"

Without pausing, Tsuna looked over his shoulder, letting out an easy laugh. Grinning, he raised his hand in a slight half-wave. Hibari, behind him, uttered quietly, "Don't push yourself." Tsuna, still smiling, lowered his hand and returned just as quietly, "Right."

He turned, and patting down his suit gracefully, allowed himself to be led into the designated conference room. The young Vongola walked with swift grace and poise, in mechanical routine. Slate eyes alert and calculating, Hibari wasn't far behind him. They walked down the empty halls, their footsteps echoing loudly against the dull marbled flooring. Hibari stayed close to the petite brunet, providing a sort of silent support and relaxing companionship. Tsuna was grateful.

They walked for a while in silence, turning a corner into another hall and spotting the designated conference doors, elaborately decorated in a way that it could be instantly recognized. Stopping in front of them, Tsuna eyed the overbearing conference doors in front of him and allowed himself a small, tired sigh, raking a hand through his hair. Before Hibari could do anything, the young Vongola _capofamiglia_ had replaced his mask of cool unaffectedness and had pushed the doors open.

"_Ciao_." He said smoothly, announcing his presence. His persona exuded confident authority as he met every gaze unflinchingly. Hibari, as he stood forebodingly from behind Tsuna, couldn't help feeling impressed by Tsuna's self-control. The watchful Guardian then settled himself into a corner discreetly and from there, scanned his surroundings dutifully. He eyed his Sky, watching him shake hands politely with other guests before settling down gracefully at his seat. In his corner, Hibari's expression darkened.

…_His grip._ Hibari noted, narrowing his eyes. _It's weaker than usual._

His gaze lingered for a moment longer on Tsuna before returning to scan the room again. This time, though, he caught sight of a familiar figure. Noting the stark patterns tracing the person's arm and the wild shock of blond hair, Hibari's eyes widened slightly in recognition.

The Cavallone boss, "Vaulting Horse" Dino, was here as well.

Dino, perhaps feeling the weight of the Cloud Guardian's indiscreet stare, turned and caught Hibari's gaze. Looking slightly surprised, the blond _capofamiglia_ cheerfully waved a tattooed arm and threw Hibari a large grin. The tonfa-wielder quickly shifted his gaze to the opposite wall.

"Kyouya, is that you?" Dino laughed, waving energetically. In his seat, Tsuna's head whipped toward the familiar voice. He instantly regretted it as his vision swam, and he clutched at the armrests of his chair dizzily. He'd really underestimated how badly disoriented his poor health was making him.

"Long time no see! Haha, miss me?" Somehow, Dino's voice sounded far away.

Characteristically, Hibari pointedly ignored him. He folded his arms, resolutely keeping his gaze pinned to the opposite wall. Gathering himself together, Tsuna managed a forced smile as he waved back in place of his stoic Guardian. The young Vongola hoped it was enough to cover for his lack of strength and avoid rousing Dino's uncanny ability to detect any abnormality in his behavior. Apparently it worked, because Dino returned the wave with ten times the enthusiasm.

The Cavallone boss was about to open his mouth to greet Tsuna when he was suddenly interrupted by an unpleasant electronically amplified screech followed by a chorus of pained groans and angry curses. Tsuna bit back his own agonized shout as he clutched his throbbing head, his headache returning full force.

"You incompetent _fool_! Look at what your idiocy has done!"

The disembodied outburst was followed by a series of harsh banging sounds, and suddenly the door slammed open. An elaborately dressed Frenchman strode in arrogantly as he adjusted the wireless microphone next to his mouth, attracting curious glances from the other occupants of the room. Tsuna didn't bother to look up, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to stop his ears from ringing. Hibari shot the intruder a livid glare, eyes twitching in annoyance. "Disgusting herbivore," he muttered under his breath.

As the pulsing in his temples slowly ebbed, the young Vongola boss looked up and caught a glimpse of the newcomer and inwardly cringed. He really did not want to deal with this right now, but it really couldn't be helped.

Tsuna didn't seem to, but he took his position and responsibilities as Vongola boss extremely seriously. He really was a very respectable, responsible _capofamiglia_ that everyone counted on to lead the most prominent mafia in Italy.

Sighing resignedly, he braced himself for a torturous evening with a pompous host and jarring headache. Tsuna cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on the situation at hand. Step by step, first things first.

Unquestionably, his job was always first.

:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:

It was sheer misfortune that the host had taken a liking to him. The young Frenchman was extremely partial to Tsuna, and frequently asked him his opinion on whatever trivial matter was being discussed. Frequently, though, the conversation would be somehow directed to himself, and Tsuna would have to suffer through long, elaborate anecdotes of his life that the petite mafia boss really could not care less about. Honestly, the only thing Tsuna got from his incessant babble was that his name was Jesper L'Beauvais, and he was related to some kind of royalty. He couldn't say that his far-fetched stories were entirely credible, and judging from Hibari's derisive scoff, he didn't think so either.

He bit the inside of his cheek to stifle the rising urge to cough. Tsuna forced a smile on his face and nodded at whatever L'Beauvais was rambling on about, not really listening. His Italian was horrible, anyway.

What's worse, the poor Mafioso was forced to keep his mask of neutrality and pleasant detachment even though his body was slowly and surely giving out on him. Breathing became painful, and the temperature of the room seemed to rise several degrees. Sweat dripped down his neck and matted his hair to his forehead as he willed himself to breathe normally. Even then, not a trace of his discomfort showed on his face.

Tsuna suddenly felt all eyes on him and he quickly snapped to attention. _Damn, what was that he said…?_

"Ah, right." He heard himself say vaguely. "I'll think about it."

He was too distracted to notice the slight look of surprise from Hibari and the look of elation from his French host. _Focus_, he mentally chided himself, minding to ask Hibari what he had agreed to "think about" later. _Focus_.

He couldn't lose it now.

Hibari watched, silent and sullen, in the corner. The Cloud Guardian arms folded across his chest in a classic display of boredom, but the eyes he kept trained on the petite Vongola boss betrayed a quiet, anxious impatience. His observant slate eyes darkened to a stormy ashen hue as his chest tightened in silent trepidation.

He saw that Tsuna was nearing his limit – his acute control of his control was slipping, and he was a just a breath away from collapsing altogether.

"_Dammit," _Hibari hissed under his breath, attracting a few curious looks. The frustrated ebony-haired man threw them an especially livid glare, but drew no satisfaction in seeing them cower back in fear.

He knew he promised his boss long ago not to meddle, but it was hard not to when Tsuna - someone he cared for much more than he would like to admit - was suffering. He was counting on his only loophole on his end of the deal: an excuse_. "When someone besides you, Kyouya-san," _Tsuna had said,_ "notices that something is off about me…"_ Here he had smiled, obviously confident_. "…then you can do whatever you want." _Hibari had wanted to scream at him for his foolishness, because Tsuna's control was really _that good_; it was likely that he could collapse before anyone notices that there was something wrong with him. To a normal bystander, it would look as if Tsuna was perfectly fine one moment, but collapsed suddenly from an unknown reason.

His jaw clenched as his mind desperately groped for options.

He heard it then – the almost imperceptible falter in Tsuna's fluid speech. He narrowed his eyes. Things were getting really bad, really fast.

It seemed that Dino caught it as well, as the Cavallone _capofamiglia_ had known Tsuna for a long time and was familiar with Tsuna's mask of deception. Hibari saw that the older man had started throwing Tsuna rather concerned looks.

He made his decision. He had his excuse. He would wait no longer.

"Excuse me."

Hibari's low voice cut smoothly into the conversation as he stepped next to Tsuna's seat, laying a hand of the discomfited mafioso's shoulder in silent support.

"I believe it is time for…his next appointment."

Though spoken in slightly broken Italian, Hibari's tone of voice left no room for argument. Tsuna looked up, puzzled, before he caught Dino's worried gaze. Sighing resignedly, Tsuna steadied his wavering vision before he stood up carefully. He excused himself politely, and Hibari almost couldn't believe how Tsuna managed to do so and look so unaffected when Hibari knew he was on the verge of collapsing.

Hibari opened the door for Tsuna and discreetly released his box hedgehogs to destroy any cameras in the hallway. From the looks of it, Tsuna wouldn't last until they made it to someplace private.

True to Hibari's prediction, the fatigued Sky barely made it outside the conference room before wavering mid-step and crumbling to the floor. Hibari rushed to his side, grimacing at Tsuna's dangerously pale complexion and labored breathing. The Cloud hastily loosened Tsuna's tie and removed his suit jacket, scooping his petite boss into his arms.

Underneath his first class acting, Tsuna looked too frail, too small, too weak. Hibari understood why Tsuna needed to hide it, and his chest clenched with silent remorse.

"…C-Can't…here…risk…"

"I've taken out the cameras."

The Vongola capofamiglia looked visibly relieved, but that didn't do much for his frail, sickly appearance.

"…bathroom…" Tsuna managed to gasp, but Hibari was already sprinting down the halls.

:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:

The bathroom, luckily, was completely empty.

"Can you stand?" Hibari's steady voice cut through the silence.

"…Y-yeah."

Hibari set Tsuna's small frame down carefully, watching as Tsuna fought to steady himself. Unfortunately, his legs gave out under him, and he collapsed against Hibari, barely feeling his two arms encircle his shivering, thin frame in support.

"…Idiot."

Tsuna detected the faint disappointment in Hibari's voice.

"…sorry."

"You…" Hibari started.

"I know." Tsuna cut in.

_You_ _don't have to pretend when you're with me._

"I'm sorry," he repeated, softly. Around Hibari, he was safe. Tsuna knew Hibari would not judge him. He did not have to deny that he was unwell, and he did not have to lie. With Hibari, explanations or excuses were unnecessary.

Hibari said nothing, shuffling for something inside his suit pockets. After a while, he withdrew a small bottle of pills.

He didn't ask this time.

Hibari popped two pills in his mouth and suddenly, his lips were on Tsuna's, prying them open easily and slipping the medicine inside. Tsuna almost choked in surprise, but the feeling of Hibari's lips on his own was too much of a distraction, and the pills slipped unnoticed down his throat.

Hibari pulled back, after a while, smirking darkly. Tsuna's head was swimming, but for once, he wasn't sure from what.

"…revenge." Hibari smirked.

The petite Vongola groaned, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"…have…pity…"

But the light-hearted moment was painfully short-lived, and the situation suddenly lost its humor when Tsuna was overcome with wracking, painful coughs. Sweat matted hair clung to his forehead, and his normally bright amber eyes were slightly glazed, dulled into a lifeless brown. He clung to Hibari's shirt like a lifeline, and the ebony-haired man felt something inside of him clench painfully.

He looked down at Tsuna's deathly pale face and cursed.

Worry. Caution. Guilt. Fear.

Hibari _hated_ those feelings. He loathed them more than anything else, and his revulsion was only fuelled by the insinuated weakness within those simple emotions. Weakness. He hated, loathed, despised anything that pertained to weakness.

But even so, Hibari couldn't bring himself to hate him. Him, who made him feel this way. Him, who made him worry for his sake. Him, who made him _weak_.

He couldn't help but feel it. He hated it, that feeling of cold, bottomless, nagging anxiousness that gnawed at him when Tsuna in pain - the encompassing, suffocating guilt because he knew that he was helpless to take the heavy burden of the Vongola completely off Tsuna's shoulders. Those feelings, those godforsaken emotions made him _change_. They forced him realize that his world, his _everything_, depended completely on one person alone. Dependence, to the untouchable free soaring skylark, was weakness as well.

He was caught; his wings were clipped and he was caged. He couldn't escape.

But when he saw Tsuna suffering like this, he didn't want to. The juxtaposition was startling; he loved freedom, yet he willingly tied himself to one person.

But he knew he didn't regret it.

Weak as it made him, it was worth being able to stay by his side. After all, he was too clumsy, too innocent, and he needed someone to worry for him if he wasn't going to worry about himself.

And Hibari decided long ago that he would be the one to do the honors.

_:.__** F**__ A L__** L**__ – __**F**__ R O __**M**__ – __**T **__H __**E **__–__** S**__ K __**Y**__.:_

_Huuaaaah, that was the longest one yet. Hibari, I'm telling you, is one tough nut to write. I had a hard time trying to keep him in character and trying to justify his feelings at the same time. I hope I wasn't as fail as I think I made it turn out. -.-;;; (Errr…anyone else notice the change in writing style about halfway through? Grah, fail... DX)_

_Oh jyah, the French bastard will be making his comeback…sometime. When I decide to write it. Kehe. AH, before people go all nuts on me, there is really no meaning to making him French. It was a whim, and I as a person do not have anything against French people. I love French people – and I love the language too. So please don't kill me for making him French, I really didn't mean anything by it._

_On another note, I've also decided to categorize the random one-shots I write into three categories: pre-Millefiore, mid-Millefiore, and post-Millefiore. The previous one-shots, including this one, are all pre-Millefiore. So in general..._

_**Pre-Millefiore **__means that Millefiore is on the move or wreaking general havoc, and Vongola is trying to stop them. This is the time where things are most stressful for our Vongola boss, so I'm going to milk it for all it's worth! _

_**Mid-Millefiore **__means that TYL!Tsuna died, and TYE!Tsuna may or may not have arrived. TYL!Hibari may or may not have been poofed away in this setting, too._

_**Post-Millefiore**__ means that all the chaos has settled down, and the Vongola are back to living their daily awesome lives._

_Please review? I love to hear feedback!_


	5. Omake: Behind the Closed Door

_Ahaha, I just finished this one. It's short, so just consider it a "sorry for being so late" present. Just something to lighten the mood after the previous chapter. ;D  
_

_Kind of omake-ish, so I guess it couldn't be called a regular chapter. Heh. Ah, thanks again to __**Serser**__ (of course), __**Tsuki no Akebono**__,and __**Hibari Rikuo**__. I'd also like to thank __**ohlordies,**__ whose hilarious comments always make my day. Hehe! But thanks again everyone else, for all those alerts/favorites/reviews! :D –loves on all of you-_

_So… er…for the rating. I guess it's very obviously implied, so it's a T. Heh. _

_:.__**D**__ I E T R O – L A – P O R T A – C H I U S __**A**__.: _

"HOLY _SHIT_!"

Emerald eyes as wide as they could go, Gokudera stumbled backward, nearly falling over Yamamoto in his haste to get out of the room. Blushing to his roots, he glared darkly at the Rain Guardian and tried to shove him back out the door. His stupefied companion, flushing a slight pink, let himself be towed/pushed/shoved back into the hallway where there would doubtly be anything to scar his eyes and mind any further.

"S-Sorry, Tsuna, Hibari. " Yamamoto called weakly from within Gokudera's death clasp. "Er…next time, can you please lock the door? Um, before you know, you…uh…" The Rain Guardian coughed and flushed slightly averting his gaze.

Gokudera smacked him roughly, screeching as he practically glowed with embarrassment. "Shut up! Shut up, shut_ up_! Oh God, no. No, no, _no_! You bastard, I don't need those images in my head, you hear me?!"

Yamamoto clutched his head, shielding himself from Gokudera's wrath. "Friendly advice, Gokudera! Friendly advice! When you want to do something like that, it's best to do it in the privacy of your own room – and I was just reminding them – you know? See, Gokudera, you and I always, _always_ make sure to lock the door before we - "

"_GAH_!" Gokudera screeched and did the only thing reasonable to him at his flustered state of mind; he grabbed Yamamoto by the collar of his neck and shook him back and forth frantically in a frantic attempt to make him shut_ up_.

"Ow, ow! Gokudera, stop – ow! I'm sorry! I was just – ow! I'm sorry, okay? Ow, Gokudera, stop-!"

**-CRACK-**

Both of the Guardians froze. Gokudera's grip on Yamamoto's collar suddenly went slack as he eyed the tonfa wedged halfway into the marbled walls, centimeters from his face. Yamamoto, from the floor, tried to blink his vision back into focus.

"G-Gokudera? Wha--?"

"_Shh!!!"_ Gokudera hissed, his emerald eyes wide. "Oh_, fuck –"_

At that moment, most menacing voice either Guardian had ever heard in their lives drifted from the half-closed door across from them. It was a voice promised a very, very painful death; a voice that signified a very, very displeased Hibari.

It was the voice from Hell.

"**Too. Noisy."**

Gokudera shivered and ran down the opposite hall as fast as he could, dragging a limp Yamamoto behind him.

He ran so fast that he didn't even hear the door slam and the soft click of a lock.

_:.__**B **__E H I N D – T H E – C L O S E D – D O O __**R**__.:_

_Tsk, tsk, Hibari. He's so impatient that he forgets to lock the door? -laughs- _

_There's a bit of 8059, too. I lurv me some 8059, so I just had to put it in. ;D_

_Hang tight, folks! I'm working on the next "real" chapter. Haha! _


	6. Birthday

_**WARNING: LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE….**_

_I am sorry to inform you that the previous author of this collection has passed away._

_...OOP! Just kidding. But it sure seemed like I did, huh? Jeez, it's already been a year. I told you I'm terrible at updating…-cries in a corner-_

_I'm sooooo sorry to have kept all of you waiting so long…in all honesty, I'd lost all motivation for this little collection of mine. I'd been distracted by many, many things after my exams…and here I am. Again. Please don't kill me. ;u; __By the way, another warning: my writing style may have changed. LOL;;_

_This chapter is dedicated to my best friend, __**Serser**__, and a super sweet person by the name of __**bonbonpich**__. I'll shower her with love at the end of the chapter!_

_And again, thank you for all the supportive reviews. I'm so sorry if I haven't replied to all of you individually; I'll try my best this time around! __For the rest of you who are still here (though I wouldn't expect a big turnout, especially when I went MIA for about a year), please enjoy the next installment of Little Things!_

_Rating: PG_

_Setting: Pre-Millefiore_

_:.__**C**__ O M P L E A N N __**O**__.:_

_So much paperwork…._

Sighing deeply, Tsuna sank deeper into the leather plush of his chair. He set his pen down and raised his hands to rub his tired eyes, absently hoping that eye-pressing wouldn't become a habit of his. It was unbecoming of the most influential mafia leader in Italy, and, as he recalls Yamamoto laughing, he was just too "cute and cuddly" as he sat rubbing his eyes like an innocent five year old. Groaning, he pressed his palms to his eyelids, hoping to soothe the itching discomfort that beset them. When it didn't really work, Tsuna settled for collapsing on top of his desk altogether.

The exhausted _capofamiglia_ laid comfortably sprawled atop his desk, paying careful attention not to muss his paperwork. Reborn would definitely kill him if he did. Tsuna shivered absently at the thought of what his ex-tutor had done to him the last time he carelessly cluttered his tabletop. On second thought, he'd rather not remember.

The amber eyed man heaved a shaking sigh as he pressed his cheek to his desk. _Maybe I'll nap for a while, _he yawned. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander into that peaceful, encompassing haze that he found himself drifting into all too often nowadays.

He drifted off – or at least, he thought he did- until an unpleasant gurgling sound echoing loudly his office jolted him back into consciousness.

"…?"

Surprise evident on his tired face, the petite Sky Vongola rested a hand on his stomach and looked up at the clock_. Ah. 5 PM... _It was no wonder he was hungry; he hadn't had anything to eat since last night's dinner. Tsuna's stomach continued to scream its protests, and the amber-eyed man sat stock still, staring blankly at his desk. He blinked his eyes blearily – once, twice - his mind lingering in the tempting afterglow of a much needed nap. His complaining and sadly empty stomach, however, didn't let him off the hook. It rumbled loudly, jarring the poor mafioso mercilessly awake. Tsuna groaned and deflated against his desk, burying his head into his folded arms.

…_Nnnhh…where is Kyouya-san…?_

After a few seconds of reflection, Tsuna started, flushing an embarrassed pink. He clapped a hand to his forehead, his amber eyes wide with surprise.

_Whoa, what? Wait a second… Why did I think of Kyouya-san…?_

…_But…come to think of it, Kyouya-san is always here with food. _He snapped his head up, feeling guilty that food had become synonymous with the name of his lover. He hung his head limply, groaning.

_Oh my god, sorry, Kyouya-san… _Tsuna felt ashamed of himself that he had to bother Hibari during mealtimes, and even unconsciously depend on his Cloud Guardian for sustenance. At that thought, he placed both palms on his desk and stood up resolutely, his chair scraping backwards in his haste to get up. The petite Mafioso tugged on his suit jacket before shuffling to the door, sparing a quick glance at his desk to make sure his paperwork was still neatly intact. As hungry as he was, Tsuna really didn't want to be on the receiving end of Reborn's wrath.

He closed the door softly behind him and casually made his way down the main hall of the Vongola mansion, exchanging quick pleasantries with passing _famiglia _members. On his way to the kitchen, the poor Vongola Sky was tackled by his right hand man and almost dragged off to see something he didn't really care to see in his desperate hunger_._ Hell_, _his stomach was protesting louder and louder by the second.

After promising an ardently enthused Gokudera he would review the adjustments he made to _Systema C.A.I _sometime later, Tsuna was in the middle of his parting wave when he was interrupted by a very loud, ominous explosion – coming from the direction of the kitchen. Tsuna whirled around, startled, his amber eyes as wide as saucers. He saw the rising poof of black smoke coming from the kitchen and cursed under his breath.

The alarmed Sky dashed the remaining mile to the kitchen and threw the door open, coughing as the smoke rushed offensively into his lungs. Waving a hand in front of him, he tried to blink his clouded vision back into focus.

"A-Akiha-san? What in the world…"

As his vision slowly cleared, he was met with a surprising scene. Rather, one he never thought he would see in all his years of living.

First of all, the cook, Akiha, was absent. That in itself was extremely astonishing, since he really never left the kitchen unless it was in very capable hands. Of course, Tsuna thought, the kitchen exploding never happened to cross her mind.

Secondly, Child Lambo was bouncing off the walls. Literally _bouncing off the walls_, trailing a bright pink colored indecipherable blur of…something. The walls were caked with thick, half-floured splotches of batter, and an open bag of rainbow sprinkles lay spilling from the table onto the kitchen floor. He stepped back in alarm when a wayward glob of pink ricocheted past his face and groaned as Lambo knocked over what was left of the milk onto the countertop.

What shocked him most of all, though, was Hibari. The stoic Guardian was often in the kitchen, yes, but always alone. Tsuna almost laughed at his appearance, but could not manage to choke back the initial shock that Hibari was in the kitchen with _Lambo_ of all people. The raven-haired man was covered head to toe in pastry dough and whipping cream that stuck to his collared shirt in fat white globs. Pudding dripped down his front – no doubt the work of Lambo – and soot and batter was smeared across his face haphazardly, mixed with the powder white of flour. Raw egg matted in his tousled hair, he stood stock still in the middle of the kitchen with a rare expression of lost bewilderment – and Tsuna was taken aback.

Suddenly, there was a poof of smoke that signaled the return of the teenaged Thunder Guardian. The brunet mafioso almost sighed in relief.

All the while, Hibari sulked in the middle of the room, his face set in a resolute frown. He looked almost comical with that expression with egg in his hair, and Tsuna swallowed a laugh.

Lambo blinked disorientedly before his eyes widened in horror and he choked at the scene before him. Glancing at Hibari apologetically, he removed his oven mitt and swiped a hand over his apron, his gaze glued to the floor. After a moment of embarrassed silence, he turned back at his amber eyed boss and lifted a hand in greeting, still looking guilty.

Rubbing his neck nervously, Lambo averted his gaze and said, "Uh…Happy Birthday, Vongo– uh, I mean, Boss."

There was silence. Tsuna looked surprised before it dawned on him that it _was_ his birthday. Wow, he was so busy these days, he'd completely forgotten his own birthday.

"Oh. Thank you, Lambo."

He laughed lightly, a little amazed, and surveyed the destroyed kitchen more closely. Amber eyes roved over batter, pudding, and cream – _Ah, _he realized with a small start. _Cake ingredients._

Disgruntled chirping cut through the awkward silence in the room, and all gazes turned to a familiar, half covered picnic basket in the corner. _The basket that Hibari usually brought him food with,_ Tsuna noted happily.

Hibird hopped out and fluffed indignantly, its tail singed from the prior explosion. Tsuna spied an assortment of food from within the folds of the cloth covering of the basket and smiled, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

Lambo glanced up at Tsuna, relived that he wasn't upset. "Boss, you know…" The teenager looked slightly embarrassed, averting his gaze. "It was Hibari's idea. I'm just chef's assistant."

Eyes widening, Tsuna looked over to his Cloud Guardian, who was still sulking in the middle of the room. He tried to catch his gaze, but Hibari looked away in a conscious effort to ignore the flush stealing across his cheeks. The amber-eyed Mafioso chuckled. Sidestepping globs of half-mixed cake batter and other miscellaneous ingredients, he made his way toward the center of the room. Even as Tsuna finally stood directly in front of his Cloud Guardian, the other remained resolute, staring stubbornly at the wall across from Tsuna as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Thank you, Kyouya-san." He said, petting Hibari affectionately on the head. He ignored the slimy egg that stuck unpleasantly to his fingers, laughing slightly at the other's mussed appearance. He scooped aside a glob of batter that stuck to the side of Hibari's face and brushed aside his sticky raven hair, quiet amusement and affection in his amber eyes. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, he relished the small tint of pink that spread across the usually stoic guardian's cheeks.

Tsuna reached back and blindly groped over the cluttered tabletop, seemingly miraculously procuring a clean rag of cloth from underneath the mess. Chuckling every time he glanced at his lover's disheveled appearance, he wiped the mess from Hibari's ruined suit as he tried to catch the embarrassed Cloud Guardian's elusive gaze, his previous hunger seemingly forgotten. Lambo stood awkwardly to the side, wondering if he should escape while he could when the other two in the room were clearly occupied with each other.

He found himself staring without noticing it, trying to decipher the odd enigma of their relationship. Compatible but not, polar opposites but lovers. Lambo pursed his lips and watched on, puzzled.

It was then that he caught it. That gentle look in Tsuna's amber eyes, the precious way he gazed at the other as if he appreciated him in a way that ran much deeper than a partnership between superior and subordinate. Lambo didn't know about love, but he understood that much.

He saw the way that the Cloud Guardian reciprocated; it became more than obvious when the raven-haired man had swallowed his pride enough to admit that he didn't know how to make cake and sought his help. Hibari's love wasn't in words, but in trust; by constantly staying by Tsuna's side no matter what with that softened look in those normally sharp steel eyes, constantly watching over him when he thought that no one was looking.

Lambo had a hard time stifling a chuckle when he suddenly realized that the Cloud Guardian was definitely sulking, apparently forgetting that he was in the room as well. He could say the same for his amber-eyed boss, but it made him feel at ease to see the other laugh so lightheartedly in the longest time.

They were an odd pair indeed, but somehow, it worked out just fine.

The Thunder Guardian gazed at the couple with his usual apathetic expression, silently wondering if he should be staring like the way he was. If Hibari caught him looking, he would be impaled alive with his hedgehog box animals and strung up and humiliated for possibly the rest of his life.

Lambo averted his gaze, a small smile on his lips. He valued his life.

_:.__**B**__ I R T H D A __**Y**__.:_

_This chapter…to be honest, I was supposed to post it on Tsuna's birthday on October 14th…of last year. I just finished it after a burst of inspiration. LOL…._

…_But onto happier matters! __**Bonbonpich**__ was kind enough to make short doujin comics of Little Things! This was a while ago, but I'm only getting to feature her now. She is so amazingly talented like you have no idea, and she made me so damn happy that I just can't contain it. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. ;u;_

_OMG I wish I could share the love but I forgot to ask her what her blog was… TTATT;; THEY WERE SO AMAZING THOUGH. _


	7. Afternoon Tea

_So um. Hi. I…had a sudden burst of inspiration, and got off my lazy ass to finish writing this. God, I need some kind of inspiration that won't fade out on me after I literally write one sentence. LOL;; I'm soooo sorry for being such a slow updater, but I'm just so lazy! There's really no other excuse. _

…_Okay, there's also the fact that I like drawing better than writing. ;u; But at least I'm not giving you guys cliffhangers or something! These are just…boring oneshots. That I write on whim. LOL. Yeah…so expect slow updates. ;n;_

_As always, this is for you, __**Ser**__! You __**are**__ that cool. Don't you dare let anyone tell you otherwise. Also, thanks to __**bonbonpich**__! I haven't heard from you in a while, but I kept your adorable comics and they are still as super awesome as ever. I'm still so grateful to have them, knowing readers like you still enjoy this fic even when I'm terribly slow with updates. Much love! :'D_

_And by the way, my writing style might've changed. Or…it might fluctuate. It's been a while…LOL;;_

_-x-x-_

_Rating: PG_

_Setting: Pre-Millefiore _

:._**I**__ L_ - _**T**__ È - __**D**__ E - __**P**__ O M E R I G G I __**O**_.:

Today's tea was a delicious blend of chamomile and indistinguishable exotic leaves. He could taste the delicate hint of Japanese herbs, too.

Tsuna's face lit with a soft, happy smile as he sipped his special brew, having looked forward to this time of day for the past week. At precisely two o'clock each afternoon, Hibari would arrive at his office with a pot of exotic tea that changed a bit each day, leaving the petite mafioso remarkably eager to sample the day's brew. It was a fantastic change from the usual instant coffee, and he really was beginning to become spoiled from each delicate, special blend.

His amber eyes drifted to the half-empty teapot. As grateful as he was, he was also extraordinarily busy, and thus had yet to thank the cook for this break in routine. Still smiling as he sipped his tea, Tsuna thought he could stop by the kitchen later in the day to share his appreciation.

He picked up his pen and began to write again, wanting to finish his paperwork before he dropped by the kitchen for a refill.

-x-x-

Several hours later, Tsuna made his way to the kitchen (recently renovated, due to prior contretemps), and tapped the busy cook on her dainty shoulder. The cheerful woman set down a large pot and turned, seemingly surprised to see him. Tsuna brushed it aside as surprise to see him actually out of his office for leisure time.

He inclined his head respectfully, characteristically polite, and set the empty teapot on the counter. "Akiha-san, I've yet to thank you for taking the time to brew this tea for me each afternoon." He held up the empty teapot, smiling gratefully. "It's quite the pick-me-up when I'm running low on energy."

Akiha looked surprised, glancing down at the teapot in her employer's hands. "Ah…?" She looked momentarily puzzled, then her chocolate eyes lit up in sudden recollection. Tsuna cocked his head to the side, his furrowed brows betraying the petite mafioso's slight confusion.

"Oh! No, dear." The chef suddenly laughed. "It's not me, actually. I was never quite familiar with tea, which is why you usually get instant coffee instead of mixed tea." She looked apologetic at this, but Tsuna laughed it off good-naturedly, though he was a bit disappointed at himself to misunderstand his mysterious benefactor.

Then Akiha paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. She smiled and pointed to the cupboards, too high for her to reach. "Actually, Hibari-sama comes here each morning and busies himself with the shelves. Measuring and mixing and brewing…it looks quite complicated. I must say, Hibari-sama is impressively knowledgeable of traditional teas."

She laughed airily and turned to refill Tsuna's teapot with hot water, missing the petite Vongola's open-mouthed gape of astonishment.

His jaw snapped shut immediately when Akiha turned around and handed the pot back to the brunet, who graciously accepted it with a fond smile without missing a beat.

Of course.

From the start, it was odd that he hadn't thought of Hibari as the primary suspect. As silent as the Cloud Guardian was, Tsuna was usually able to read the taller man like an open book, so he thought it was slightly odd for him to have missed the signs.

He pursed his lips thoughtfully and walked back to his office, the scent of Hibari's tea wafting pleasantly from the teapot's spout as he tried to remember.

It wasn't long before recognition dawned on him. Last week, in his study. There was more paperwork than usual after he had left Italy to attend to urgent matters, and Tsuna had had a growing headache from pulling consecutive all-nighters in a valiant attempt to finish it.

"…_You look tired." _

It was a simple statement, voiced in the casual, expressionless tone that Hibari usually used. Nothing more, nothing less.

At the time, he'd merely hummed a distracted response, rubbing at his tired eyes with one hand and scribbling rapidly on his paperwork with the other. He really hadn't expected Hibari to take his condition to heart.

Tsuna smiled as he opened the door to his office, shrugging his jacket off his shoulders as usual and hanging it neatly to the side. "Good afternoon, Kyouya-san." He smiled fondly when Hibari silently nodded his greetings from the seat in the far corner, almost as if the Cloud Guardian _wasn't _taking the time to brew him tea every day.

The brunet chuckled softly, sliding himself into his chair and pouring himself another cup of tea. He held the warm beverage in both hands, letting a small sigh escape his lips. In retrospect, he really didn't realize how he could _not_ have known. The signs were there, however small they were.

Of course, Hibari was as characteristically silent as ever. An inscrutable social ice cube, he was a direct contrast to the rough, confident authority he commanded in the battlefield. In emotional matters, though, Hibari was a different story, and was never one to be straightforward in expressing his sentiments. It was strange, definitely, but since Hibari is a strange person, it hardly mattered.

The fact that it was _tea_ of all things, instead of coffee or something else, should have been a hint.

He glanced at Hibari.

"…The tea is delicious," Tsuna remarked casually, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Predictably, there was no comment in reply-just a crisp flutter of paper as Hibari turned a page.

Glancing up, Tsuna caught the slight upward quirk of his Cloud Guardian's lips before he silently turned back to his book. It wasn't like Hibari to shout his devotion from the rooftops, but spending day by day like this with the taller man's silent support was more than enough for the busy brunet.

The Vongola _capofamiglia_ chuckled softly, sipped his tea, and resumed his paperwork.

:._**A**__ F T E R N O O __**N**_ - _**T**__ E __**A**_.:

_Ahahaaa, all of these are so short._

_Oh, also…thank you all so much for favoriting or putting this fic on your story alert. Even though it's probably a long wait, I'm so flattered to know that readers like…well, whatever this is. For those of you that review, I hope you know that I really appreciative of your kind words and hope that you'll continue reading, even if this is crawling at a snail's pace! :'D I can't express how grateful I am for your feedback. It really is a joy to receive for an amateur writer such as myself._

_I've doodled a quick picture of Akiha, since I like to put faces on characters so that I have something to associate them with. If you're interested, here is the url (with spaces): http:/ /akanekari. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #/d2z3m9w_

_If you desperately want to talk to me (which I doubt LOL), or yell at me, or…something, visit me at my deviantart! I'm there like…every day. Almost. Ahaha;; :'D Just as a warning, I'm __**much**__ more spastic over there. Meaning, I talk in caps and spaz and keyboardsmash like a maniac! On ffnet, I'm oddly formal. Kind of._

_Um…please review?_


	8. Here With Me

_Aaah, not much to say but the usual. Lazy, lack of inspiration, etcetc. Pretty much all my excuses can be found in previous chapters, LOL._

_And of course, some dedications to make. __**Serser**__ is a given, as always. She's so lovely but GDI woman you need to sign on more often! And then the rare times I see you online talk to you, you're doing some essay. What the hell man, seriously? ;_;_

_Um...anyway. I'll also have to shout out to __**bonbonpich**__ again, whose reviews always make my day. I can't believe how she's stuck to this story no matter how obscenely late I update. It means so much to me! ;u; And another dedication, because her review really inspired me too. Thank you to __**charredfeathers**__, who was so sweet and awesome that I can't help but thank her especially for helping to grind this chapter out of my mushy, uninventive brain. _

_Erm. Again, writing style may or may not fluctuate. I keep writing this bad boy in monthly intervals. Well, without further ado, enjoy!_

_-x-x-_

_Rating: PG_

_Setting: Mid-Millefiore (but before TYL!Hibari is replaced with TYE!Hibari)_

_WARNING: Spoilers! (though really, this whole collection is spoilerific)_

___-x-x-_  


:._**Q**__ U __**I**__ - __**C**__ O __**N**__ - M __**E**_.:

Dusk had long set, and the power struggle for Namimori was temporarily silenced by the dark cloak of night. Millefiore would not seek them out today, it was certain; they had had already a bloody battle just yesterday, and although neither party yielded to the other, both were forced to retreat to resupply the rapidly diminishing ammunitions.

The scattered Vongola forces were temporarily settled in a hastily made pseudo-base far from the city, away from places non-mafia would tread. The chaotic bustle of before had calmed, and the beginnings of exhaustion had begun to creep into the camp. Everyone worked quietly, minding their own business, and Hibari had taken this chance to slip outside unnoticed.

Breathing deeply, the Cloud Guardian folded at the waist, clutching his side and grimacing at the wetness. His shirt was probably soaked with blood.

Hibari was cursing his unusual carelessness in battle, knowing that it was rare for him to openly bleed. And when he did, it just put him in a sour mood. He gritted his teeth in annoyance, his hunched form still as to avoid agitating his wound, when he suddenly heard approaching footfalls. Despite the throbbing pain at his side, he righted himself as much as he could, staring out into the darkness and feigning nonchalance.

"Ah…H-Hibari-san?"

The timid voice drifted though the shabby wooden door left slightly ajar, and Hibari almost started at its familiarity.

"_Kyouya-san."_

The same light lilt, strong and gentle at the same time, almost melodious in quality. But the voice was different from the one in his memories.

He felt rather than saw Tsuna push open the creaky door, poking a mousy-haired head out and looking around as if to see if the Cloud Guardian was alone. Turning his head the slightest bit, the taller man fixed the petite brunet with a look. The teen looked so timorous that Hibari was hit with a wave of nostalgia.

"…What." He said simply, his crisp answer making the short brunet flinch a fraction of an inch.

"E-Eh…I was just w-wondering if you would join us for dinner. Everyone's waiting…" The small boy said timidly, hanging around the doorway as if afraid to approach the taller man.

Hibari fought the urge to raise an incredulous eyebrow. His lover had been so different back then, and those differences made him a bit wary. Were they really counting on the Tsuna of ten years earlier to pull them through a horrible time that even experience and power couldn't right?

He turned back around slowly, staring out into the darkness of the surrounding forest. "...I will pass."

There followed a stretch of silence in which the Cloud Guardian thought the young Sky had complacently returned inside, but a quiet, nervous sounding shuffling of Tsuna's feet alerted him otherwise. He expelled a quiet sigh, almost-yet-not-quite exasperated at the petite brunet's familiar tenacity.

But despite the similarities, the differences were much too obvious for Hibari to ignore. _This_ Tsuna wasn't _his_ Tsuna. The empty aching in his chest hadn't stopped since the arrival of the younger image of his lover, and likely wouldn't stop until _his_ Tsuna was back in his arms.

He was startled from his thoughts when Tsuna suddenly exclaimed, "H-Hibari-san, you're injured!" Amber eyes were almost comically wide; The small brunet's previous fear of Hibari quickly forgotten because of a simple chest wound.

"Hm." The taller man managed in reply, discreetly tugging the suit jacket to better cover the bloody spot on his shirt. There was the sound of rapid footsteps as if Tsuna had scrambled back inside, then the indistinct chatter of voices inside and a sharp metallic clanging, followed by the sound of the door bursting open once more. Hibari's brow twitched in slight irritation at the noise at this time of night, though his annoyance seemed to lessen into one of vague amusement at the sight of Tsuna tugging a huge first aid kit into view, one that seemed too large for the petite brunet.

"Eh...if it's not too much trouble, I'll wrap it for you, Hibari-san." The petite brunet smiled sheepishly, though he was already dragging the first aid kit outside.

Hibari was silent, neither refusing the proffered medical care nor bothering to scare the young Vongola away.

Tsuna continued making his way over a bit apprehensively, trying to observe the older Cloud Guardian's expression in the dark and failing miserably. But he figured it was alright, since Hibari wasn't saying anything scary, right? None of that "I'll bite you to death," and "herbivore" lexicon the other seemed so fond of.

"Hibari-san, is it really all right if I...?" The mousy-haired teen trailed off tentatively, seemingly rethinking his rash decision to offer the Cloud Guardian aid now. He just remembered that the temperamental yet stoic president of the Disciplinary Committee back home would never accept help from those he deemed weaker then him.

A lengthy pause, and Tsuna was beginning to sweat bullets, still holding the too-heavy first aid in his arms and gazing half-desperately at Hibari's still back.

Then, in what seemed like a miraculous moment to the anxious _capofamiglia, _the Cloud Guardian suddenly shifted and shed his suit jacket in one swift movement, the crisp cloth crumpling neatly to the side. Tsuna's heart almost stopped when the taller man turned to face him, the blood on his white shirt stark and horrible, though his steel eyes were calm and unaffected.

"Come." He said simply, holding a hand out to accept the heavy first-aid kit, steel eyes boring calmly into the mousy-haired teen's amber ones.

There was a while where Tsuna just stared, mouth agape, unwilling to believe what had just happened. Then the corner of Hibari's mouth twitched into a frown, brows furrowing in the first beginnings of impatience.

And there it was. The way that the soft blush suddenly stole across Tsuna's cheeks like an airbrushed porcelain doll; the way he 'eek'-ed in surprise and embarrassment, quickly shuffling forward to the Cloud Guardian's side without a second's further hesitation.

Hibari was almost taken aback; he hadn't seen such an expression on Tsuna's face since...well, since the Vongola Sky was a teenager. The Tsuna of his time—the Tsuna who was his _lover_—blushed marginally, for fear of being perceived as weak. Appearances were important in the mafia. And even ten years later, the Vongola _capofamiglia_ was petite and slight, with a body that did not look suited for warfare. His strength in the battlefield, though, told otherwise.

The Cloud Guardian turned and fell silent, pensive and unmoving, while the petite brunet fidgeted nervously at his side. Tsuna coughed awkwardly and continued to fish through the first aid kit, the silence somehow unnerving. He feared to break it, just as he feared the steel-eyed man's unusual and volatile temperament.

It was a while until any of them spoke, and Hibari surprised himself by making the first move.

"...You're different."

His quiet voice was loud in stretched silence, and Tsuna actually jumped from his place beside the Cloud Guardian, placing a hand over his startled heart. "E-Eh?" The petite brunet managed to squeak, his amber eyes wide and questioning, not expecting that at all. His nerves were a bit high strung just being next to the capricious tonfa-bearer he thought he knew.

Hibari briefly fixed him with a stony gaze, not bothering to break it as he watched the mousy-haired teen squirm uncomfortably.

Yes, of course Tsuna was different. Years and years of being with the brunet, despite his own tendency to detach himself from the main family, had somehow ironically driven him closer to the Vongola Sky than any other Guardian. He knew his lover like the back of his hand, but somehow he'd gotten so used to _his_ Tsuna that seeing the young brunet like this was almost odd. Almost.

Because even with those differences, the similarities were glaringly obvious as well. It wasn't as if he was going to jump the defenseless brunet when his younger self hadn't even made a move yet, but it was hard all the same. It was hard not to silently dote on the younger Tsuna the way he doted on his lover. But really, he would sooner bite off his own tongue than admit that aloud.

The brunet fidgeted with the bandages and ointment in his hands, hesitating visibly before shyly asking the steel-eyed man to remove his bloodstained shirt. Hibari gazed at the teen unblinkingly but complied all the same, the cloth crumpling to the side and leaving his torso bare. Immediately afterward, a hand clasped tightly around Tsuna's thin wrist and tugged him forward, bandages and all, before the ash-eyed man held out his free hand.

"Bandages. I will take care of myself." He said impassively, watching as the petite _capofamiglia_ flushed and suddenly snapped into focus, shaking his head furiously.

"I'll do it." Tsuna said determinedly, and there was so much childish fortitude in those amber eyes that Hibari almost cracked a faint smile. His usually cold eyes must have softened minutely, because Tsuna's blush made its reappearance and he fumbled with the roll of bandages awkwardly, averting his gaze. "I-I mean, if you don't mind, Hibari-san—"

The taller man quickly shut the babbling teen up by snatching the ointment out of the brunet's hands, pinning the other with another annoyed half-glare. It worked to a tee, and Tsuna fell silent once more, his carmel gaze wandering over to the ointment like an abandoned puppy would look at a passing kindergartener on the street.

The Cloud Guardian immediately avoided meeting Tsuna's gaze, already knowing he couldn't resist _that damn look_ on the brunet's face. He told himself that he hated it when the shorter man would purposely use that against him in the future, but really, who could resist that face?

"Hiba—" Tsuna started, though he was suddenly cut off as the stoic Guardian suddenly flung the ointment at the brunet's face without even looking. The poor teen flinched, rubbing his abused nose and sulking a bit. The taller man really was as unpredictable as his younger counterpart, if not a bit more...tame. The thought itself was unexpectedly amusing. 'Tame'...made the steel-eyed man seem like some kind of domesticated animal from the wild. The description was oddly suiting.

"Hurry up, herbivore." Hibari was suddenly glad that it was dark, covering the lower half of his face and glaring to the side. Tsuna bit down on his lip to keep from smiling, knowing how dangerous he knew the tonfa-bearer could be if pushed the wrong way.

"Erm—Alright...Hibari-san, if you'd lift your arm, please..."

The taller man complied with little resistance, though his sharp ears didn't fail to pick up on the sharp intake of breath when Tsuna saw how bad his wound really was. The smile slipped instantaneously from the teen's lips, the faint amusement once in those amber eyes quickly overtaken by feverish concern and grim remorse.

He reached out with gentle fingertips to touch the horrible, bleeding gash on the taller man's side, knowing it must have hurt and feeling foolish for wasting time when the taller man was in. Hibari didn't even flinch, his grey eyes calm as he observed Tsuna's careful movements.

"I'm sorry." The young Vongola murmured quietly in the silence that followed, his hands beginning to work more quickly in their preparations now, readying the disinfectant, warming the ointment, unrolling the bandages.

Hibari glanced down and caught the brunet's eyes, holding the gaze for a while before replying. "...There is no need to apologize. It is my own carelessness that caused this injury." He deadpanned in that low voice of his, not an ounce of deference in his speech or form. Despite his words, Tsuna still looked guilty and cheerless, amber eyes genuinely downcast.

The taller man couldn't help but feel a little rush of affection course through him despite the somber mood, his slate eyes softening slightly. That's right; the young Tsuna wore his expressions on his sleeve. He missed that kind of honesty with his lover, and it was obvious even if he didn't voice it. The Tsuna of the future would work until collapse, hiding his weakness behind an impenetrable wall of protection built from years of experience and acting prowess.

This Tsuna, here with him now, was so pure it almost hurt to look at him.

This Tsuna was untainted, innocent, so unaware of what they had to go through to get to where they were. This Tsuna was timid when his Tsuna was open, but he supposed years of breaking down barriers would do that to anyone.

The young _capofamiglia_ gently reached forward to swab the wound clean and looked tentatively up at Hibari for approval, and when the Cloud Guardian didn't make a move, he took it as a cue to continue. The taller man allowed his mind drift, knowing that if his Tsuna were here now, he would be all over his case for getting hurt like this.

"_Kyouya-san. I'm going to keep you under house arrest for half a year if I see this kind of wound on you again, do you hear me? Don't give me that look; I mean it." _He would probably scold, deep worry in his amber eyes as he hastily set to cleaning and dressing his lover's wound.

The thought brought the amusement back into his muted silver eyes, though they were somehow tinged with sadness. Who knew when he'd be able to see his lover again?

Ever since Shouichi had been relocated to Melone Base, he hadn't been able to keep in contact with him at all. If his Tsuna was sleeping inside that white capsule, as ridiculously cheesy as it sounded, he wanted to know what the brunet was dreaming of. But again, he would sooner bite off his own tongue than admit it aloud.

He closed his eyes and felt those slender fingers working meticulously to aid him, the disinfectant stinging awfully against torn flesh. He exhaled slowly, enduring the biting pain, and felt Tsuna's small hands work even more quickly, wanting to spare the older Guardian the discomfort. Somehow, Hibari felt that the petite brunet was dependable in times like this, even when those same hands were often so clumsy.

The kindness was the same. That warmth, and those gentle fingers. So stubborn, so naive, so...cute.

The chill of the night made Tsuna shiver as icy wind grazed his exposed cheeks, but Hibari was grateful for it. It made the burning of his wound lessen slightly, but he reached forward anyway and slung his suit jacket over the teen's thin shoulders. The brunet looked visibly shocked, clearly not expecting that. He thought it was a miracle in itself that the Cloud Guardian was letting him dress his wounds, but these little acts of consideration were catching him off guard—especially since the Hibari of his time didn't even like to be near him.

"Th...Thank you." Tsuna managed to say, feeling heat rise to his cheeks because that was an unexpectedly sweet move. The taller man didn't respond, closing his eyes once more, though he was trying hard to stifle the odd fluttering of his chest.

The young Vongola tugged the large jacket a little tighter around him and gave the bandages around Hibari's defined abdominals another secure pat, then turned to pack away all the medical supplies into the overly-large first aid kit.

But to Hibari's surprise, the brunet didn't leave when he was finished. Tsuna sat in silence next to him, looking like he very much wanted to say something and was debating whether to or not. The Cloud Guardian didn't push, absently laying a hand on his patched wound and closing his eyes.

"You're…different too, Hibari-san." Tsuna finally said, softly, hesitantly.

Hibari offered an unaffected grunt in reply, steel eyes opening slightly to fix Tsuna with unreadable eyes. The young Vongola felt the need to elaborate, not wanting the older Guardian to get the wrong idea or anything. His face dusted with pink and the taller man felt himself attracted to the color, having not seen Tsuna turn that vivid of a shade since their teenage years.

"Y...You're a lot…calmer now. More rational, and...less rash, I suppose. But you're still essentially the same...but you're a lot more open now, I guess. At ease, sort of? Like you're not going to kill anybody out of nowhere, like you used to…" The brunet was rambling now, getting more flustered by the second and letting his mouth run away with itself. His hands flapped about as he tried to salvage the situation he thought he got himself in, obviously embarrassed.

His tawny eyes widened as Hibari caught one of his flailing hands, immediately quieting to stare at the stoic Guardian with undisguised shock. He managed a sheepish cough in the stretching silence that ensued, glancing awkwardly down at their interlocked hands.

Hibari bit down an amused smile at the young Vongola's reaction. He couldn't very well tell Tsuna that it was for his sake that he'd changed, right? In one swift movement, he pulled the brunet up by the hand, standing and looking down at the surprised teen. God, had Tsuna really been that short before his growth spurt?

So cute.

It was undeniably hard to keep his hands to himself, even with the obscene amount of control he had over his own body. He kept a hand at his bandaged side and released Tsuna's with the other, only to place it on the brunet's head soon after in silent gratitude. Almost experimentally, he offered the petite Sky a faint, almost unnoticeable smile. A simple upward quirk of the lips—nothing more, nothing less—the same smile he often gave to his lover in secret.

Seeing the blush explode on Tsuna's cheeks was well worth it, the petite _capofamiglia_ looking too shocked to even speak. He kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish that had been washed ashore, his face bright red and almost _glowing_ in the darkness.

Hibari's mood lightened, considerably better than when he had first stepped outside. He watched Tsuna struggle for words for a while, slate eyes clearly amused. If anything, the softened look in those eyes made the poor brunet even more flustered.

So cute. So unbearably _cute_.

And without another glance, Hibari promptly bent to pick up the huge first-aid kit like it was nothing at all, and quickly turned to make his way back inside the base before he really did something regrettable.

Because of all the things he was, he was definitely _not_ a pedophile.

_-x-x-_

:._**H**__ E R __**E**__ - __**W**__ I T __**H**__ - M __**E**_.:

_Oh my god, I cranked half of this out last night; no joke. I'm not really liking my writing at the moment, honestly. Still, I hope most of you found the chapter enjoyable to an extent._

_Er. __Previously, I've been writing Pre-Millefiore (as most of the oneshots will be), but I won't be going in any specific order. I'll try to keep it canon, but I'm sure to make mistakes. Please point them out if you see any inconsistencies!_

_As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. I'll try very hard to reply to each!_


	9. Beginnings

_Oh my god, what is wrong with me? I neglect writing for months on end, and then I crank out two chapters in a little more than week or so. Seriously, I don't even know._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Ser**__ as always, because she's the best friend anyone could have. I just wish she'd be on the internet more often, because I'm too lazy to call...LOL. Also, thanks to __**bonbonpich**__ of course, and __**Satol **__because she left the longest review I've ever had the pleasure of receiving on this growing collection of ficlets. Honestly, her kind, supportive words inspired me to no end!_

_And of course, a trillion thanks to my readers and reviewers. I appreciate the support like you wouldn't even know!_

_-x-x-_

_Rating: __**M **__(If sex makes you uncomfortable in any way, please run, run, __**run away now!**__)_

_Setting: Post-Millefiore_

_WARNING: __**Mature Content **__(again, for young and sensitive readers, I _really_ don't want to scar your innocent minds.) _

_-x-x-_

:._**I **__N I Z __**I**_.:

He sits with the petite brunet on his lap, fingers gliding along the slender Vongola's lower back and feels the gratifying tremble of Tsuna's body, his breath hot against his lover's skin as he sinks deeper still.

"..._Kyouya-san_." The Sky whispers breathlessly, the urgency and desperation almost palpable in voice alone. Hibari tips his head and captures those lips to quiet him, tugging the brunet forward to press flush against his heated skin.

He is rewarded with a faint gasp of pleasure, those slender arms winding around his neck in a silent plea for more. Of course, he gives it willingly. He always has.

Those horrible years of tension with Millefiore were finally over. It's hard to believe, but what's harder to believe is that when Tsuna had returned to meet them in front of that damned time capsule, all he'd done was laugh amiably, embracing each of his Guardians in turn. Gokudera had almost dissolved in heartfelt tears before Yamamoto laughed and pulled the Storm Guardian against him, deaf to all protests.

And then Tsuna had laughed before tip-toeing to give Hibari a brief kiss on the cheek, toying with the stoic Guardian's silk tie. He'd smiled even when the taller man had swatted his offending hand away, unromantic even at such a reunion. Neither of them had seen each other in months.

"I told you, didn't I?" The chuckling _capofamgila_ had teased, carmel eyes relieved all the same.

"Herbivore." Hibari had murmured in reply, the term having lost it's hostility years ago and had somehow become something akin to affectionate.

They've already been having make up sex for weeks already, but none of it is enough for him. It's never enough.

Tsuna gasps again and grips his shoulders tightly for balance, muffling a broken moan against his Cloud Guardian's neck. Hibari exhales as he feels the petite brunet's lips fleetingly ghost across his throat, ashen eyes closing to savor the moment.

It's like all the other times they'd made love, but somehow different all the same. It's ridiculous, really, how Tsuna sets his nerves aflame and makes his body burn for more with each fleeting touch. His mind wanders, even in the midst of passionate intercourse, half-lidded slate meeting glazed amber as he dips for another kiss.

Somehow, he feels like he doesn't deserve him. Tsuna is a wonderful lover, and as self-assured as Hibari is, he thinks his Sky is just so indescribably..._perfect_.

He doesn't mean perfect in the sense that Tsuna is flawless, because the petite brunet is only human, but perfect in the way that means the shorter man is so compatible to him that it would be frightening odd if he isn't already used to all the dizzying madness of the world they lived in.

"_**Ahn**_..."

The brunet straddling him suddenly makes another one of those ridiculously arousing noises and Hibari thrusts into him sharply, inadvertently startled at the sound that had broken his train of thought. Recovering, his lips nip at the brunet's pale neck, covering a bite mark he'd left in one of their previous lovemaking sessions. He laves at it with his tongue and bites down all over again, drawing a sharp, rewarding gasp from the shorter man on top of him.

However much he thinks that it is the _wrong time _for his mind to wander, it does anyway. And it wanders not because the sex is bad—sex with Tsuna is _amazing,_ leading him full circle back to the feeling that he does not deserve to hold such a precious person in his arms.

He suddenly wonders when Tsuna started loving him. The petite _capofamiglia_ had been the first to confess; he'd been a boy that had not quite turned into a man just yet, with his hands buried in his pockets looking deeply embarrassed at the words he'd blurted out without prior warning. Hibari remembers that he had stared at the mousy-haired teen as if he was the most interesting plant-eating specimen in world, then snorted almost derisively.

"_A challenge then, herbivore." _He had said arrogantly, before glancing back at the hunched Vongola, obviously cocky about his own skill. He would admit, though unwillingly, that his head and ego had been rather bloated as a teen.

Tsuna handed his ass back to him spectacularly. What was really remarkable was the way the brunet did it in a way that the stubborn Cloud Guardian understood his own _complete and utter loss_, and then how the young Vongola rushed up to meet the fallen Guardian, wringing his hands worriedly with utter concern in those expressive amber eyes.

"_O-Oh jeez, I didn't mean to punch that hard...Are you okay? Ah, sorry...that looks like it hurts." _He had winced at the awful bruise on Hibari's arm, and gently reached out to touch it. Hibari whipped that hand away like an injured, provoked jaguar, narrowed steel eyes smoldering with shock and humiliation and something else.

Looking back now, that something had probably been probably grudging, tentative respect.

His breath hitches inaudibly when Tsuna shifts on his knees to subtly encourage more movement, the Sky's breathing heavy, his face flushed with locks of tawny hair plastered to his sweaty forehead. Hibari thinks him beautiful, and slides the tips of his fingers down the graceful curve of his lover's spine, silently delighting in the way the slender body against him trembles so wonderfully.

He doesn't remember when exactly they started dating. There hadn't been a definite line, just as he hadn't given Tsuna a straight answer in the first place. But it had been an awkward process, like a colt stumbling as it learned to run, and not any less difficult at all. They didn't understand each other at all back then.

But Tsuna had been patient, teaching when Hibari needed to be taught, nudging slightly in the right direction when called for despite the fact both of them were novices to the delicate art of relationships. While Hibari was socially stunted and a loner to a certain degree, Tsuna had Gokudera and Yamamoto to look to for advice and example. Unfortunately, Hibari did not have the same luck with Kusakube.

Their relationship had spiraled like a roller coaster, ups and downs and all arounds, until one day Hibari had suddenly realized that Tsuna had become irreplaceable. It had been like a bullet to the gut—piercing and horrible and oddly _terrifying,_ the thought that he was chained to a person because before then, as humorously ridiculous as it sounded, he hadn't really paid much thought into the fact that he had been dating.

Then he had avoided the brunet for months on end. For once in his life, he had been frightened of his own emotions. The feeling had been so unfamiliar to him, and he had tried to stifle it mercilessly. It was the closest thing to weakness he had in him, and he _hated_ weakness.

What made things worse was the fact that guilt ate at him alive, because his thoughts were filled with Tsuna and no amount of staying away made him feel any better. Another couple months, and as stubborn as he was, he had surrendered completely. It was like déjà vu; he had lost to the petite brunet all over again.

He had been expecting a tirade for refusing to show his face for nearly a year and he got one. Gokudera had pulled him aside and spat at his face for pulling so much shit, and even Yamamoto hadn't been smiling when he grimly told him that he wasn't going to take anything like that so lightly next time.

Tsuna had merely smiled and welcomed him back, though Hibari could never find it within him to forgive himself when he noticed a lingering sadness flit briefly across the brunet's carmel eyes.

At the guilty memory, the taller man drives in deeper, eyes closing to just _feel_ Tsuna surrounding him, hear the hitch in his lover's breath change almost indiscernibly when he holds him closer. He indulges himself in those soft moans, knowing he was the only one allowed to see the brunet vulnerable, allowed to see him in such a position, wearing such an expression. And he appreciated it enough to make up for the times when he had been foolish, taking Tsuna's kindness for granted.

Honestly, how the hell did Tsuna fall in love with him? Even _he _didn't understand the reasoning behind the confession. He'd never consciously done anything at all to win the brunet's affections in the first place.

And then Tsuna tilts his head back beautifully, exposing a slender line of pale, pale neck. He presses his lips against the petite _capofamiglia_'s pulse and delights in the soft keen of pleasure, and with the way the brunet is shuddering almost helplessly in his arms, he knows he's close.

He wonders if love has anything to do with him smearing open-mouthed kisses against Tsuna's flushed skin as the brunet comes, careful to give the other as much pleasure as he possibly can. It's horrible and wonderful at once, he thinks, because he doesn't get to see much of Tsuna's adorable face in the midst of their passion. But the face the brunet makes when he lets it all go makes up for it, and Hibari drinks in the sight almost too eagerly.

He can't figure why the hell Tsuna fell in love with him, but he's grateful for it all the same.

But Hibari doesn't linger on the thought, not because he doesn't want to, but because the way Tsuna's body shifts and melds against his like two perfect puzzle pieces completely distracts him. He follows the brunet off the edge all too soon, biting down on his lover's soft neck and leaving yet another mark to mask his low, guttural groan.

Yes, he does appreciate the fact that he can mark up the petite Vongola's pretty skin. He had thought his ability to assume top was a given, but no. Tsuna had made sure he realized that it was indeed a _privilege_.

He learned this the hard way; the last time he had mentioned that Tsuna looked too submissive to top, the brunet had him facedown on the desk in minutes, hovering over him with an almost cocky smirk on those cute lips.

"You were saying?" He had smiled, giving Hibari's bound hands a teasing squeeze. It was then that Hibari fully appreciated his ability to top—not because he could be humiliatingly easily overpowered by his lover that was several inches shorter than him, heavens no, but that the brunet was _letting_ him top.

That he trusted Hibari enough to be submissive.

And then Tsuna shudders as he relaxes against his Cloud Guardian, completely spent, his chest heaving unevenly. There is something about the way the brunet laces their fingers together intimately and leans up for another kiss that attracts his attention and makes Hibari's heart flutter, though he hopes his lover can't feel it through their pressed chests.

He lowers the brunet gently down to the bed and pulls the covers snugly over the both of them, though he doesn't untangle their legs or interlaced fingers. He doesn't question the warmth of the feeling that sweeps over him, because he has long learned to stop fighting a useless battle.

_Ah. _He thinks, gazing at their entwined fingers before bringing Tsuna's small hand up in his and grazing his lips tenderly across the slight knuckles. The way the brunet smiles back takes his breath away, and he finds himself falling deeper.

_So this is love._

_-x-x-_

:._**B**__ E G I N N I N G __**S**_.:

_I don't know; I liked writing this because I like writing in present tense. LOL, I'm not going to lie; that's honestly one of the reasons this was so easy to write. Again, I hope it was enjoyable for most of y'all. :D _

_A penny for your thoughts?_


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